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Saturday, January 23, 2010

100th post!!!! Woohoo!

Well, there would be more if I weren't so lazy, or if I were clever/patient enough to post only one sketch at a time. But really, that's 100 posts more than I'd written at this time last year, so there.

On to the sketches. I completed side 1 of my Japanese Album Moleskine. Not bad for since Christmas I s'pose. Also did an aborted sketch in my "hand book" watercolor journal, sans watercolor.

I had previously thought the above building was called the Alliance Bernstein building, since they're the chief tenant (and the name is displayed on a huge sign on the side of the building), but whaddya know, the building/complex is called The Forum. Real original. I did this sketch in the drizzle in this strange park-like area across the street that, due to a small rise in the earth, is invisible from the street. So it's essentially a park that no one knows about or uses. Then I met my dad and bro for lunch at Earl of Sandwich. I had an Italian.

This Sears is all that remains from the now non-existant Central Park Mall. The rest was demolished several years ago and a multi-level shopping center called Park North built in its place. But the Sears remained, undaunted by the changes and seemingly unaware that nobody really shops there anymore. I did this the same day as the Forum sketch, on my lunch hour from work. My lunch was scheduled to begin an hour and fifteen minutes after I got to work, and since I had already eaten an hour before that, I took the whole hour to sit in my car in a parking lot and draw. I'm an odd bird, I know.

The final spread from the first side of my Japanese Album. I haven't decided if I will do the second side, so this might be it. This sketch is a bit underwhelming, I admit, and the panhandlers were out in full force to bug me while I drew, despite headphones and the fact that I, much like they, have no money. To their credit, panhandlers in San Antonio are quite polite, and almost expect you to turn them down. I think they'd do better if they were a bit more confident.

This one just didn't get done, for whatever reason. I was sitting on an uncomfortably high windowsill of a Walgreens, and the light was bothering me. There was even a false start before this one, and a lot of hemming and hawing over which sketchbook to use, having completed the previous one. Eh, could've been worse.

Hi There. I grew up in the area around North Star, and I worked at this Sears through college, and have since relocated to Dallas. I was looking for old pictures of Central Park and came across your sketch. This picture brought so many wonderful memories. Thank you!